Toyota's self-parking car coming soon to US

While we may be stuck waiting until
2008 to see GM's self-driving
car, US drivers may soon be able to sit back and let Toyota's Prius do the parking for them, as
drivers in the UK and Japan can already do, using a $700 "parking assist" option. With the option, drivers
need only sit back and control the speed of the car with the brake pedal while the car takes control of the wheel and
maneuvers itself into place. According to Toyota, 70% of the vehicle's owners in Britain have chosen the option.
Availability in the US hasn't been announced yet, only that it should arrive "soon." We -- and the owners of
cars parked in front of and behind ours -- can't wait.